The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year contract for $1.8 million.
The move came two days after the Golden Knights sent Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals.
Samsonov, 27, has spent the previous two seasons on one-year contracts with the Toronto Maple Leafs. During his two years with the team, he went 50-17-13 and even stole a few playoff wins. Most notably, he was the goalkeeper of record when the Leafs defeated Tampa Bay in the first round last year, breaking a 19-year drought without a playoff series victory.
However, injuries and uneven play plagued Samsonov’s career, and he was placed on waivers in the middle of the 2023-24 season. Samsonov was outplayed by Joseph Woll, who will take over as Toronto’s starter next year, while Samsonov hopes to rekindle his career in Sin City.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights signed winger Pavel Dorofeyev and defenseman Kaedan Korczak to two-year contracts after they became restricted free agents on Monday.
Dorofeyev, 23, will earn $1.835 million every season for the following two years. In his debut season without AHL intervention, he played 47 games and scored 13 goals and 24 points, ranking among the most productive rookies per 60 minutes. He has 20 goals and 33 points in 67 games over three years since moving from the KHL.
This past season, Korczak, 23, spent his time between the NHL and the AHL. He had one goal and nine points in 26 games across the two leagues, and one goal and 11 points in 37 games over three years. Ryder, Korczak’s brother, has another year left on his contract with the New York Rangers.
